Twenty years ago an amazing woman shared this recipe with me. It was enjoyed by many of my friends to celebrate the birth of a very special baby at a shower that I helped host. Breast cancer took this special friend of mine on July 6, 2004. I miss her now. Every time that I make these Peanut Butter Bars I think of her. Every honor’s night I miss our talks of love, life and school. At graduation I miss her pinning my hood along with most everyone elses to make sure it was straight. Movelle Murdock was a wonderful person, a loving wife, a devoted mother of two, and one of the best teachers that I have ever known. She was the head of the math department and she knew her stuff. Movelle was funny, full of boundless energy, and she had a wonderful personality. Everyone respected her opinion. She was a fabulous cook and an equally talented seamstress putting together costumes for the musical every year. I will never be as strong as she was. She taught quite often the same day she received chemo. I don’t know how she did it. Movelle will always be my hero. In May of 2004 Movelle decided that it would be her last year to teach. She and her family planned to move back to her husband’s hometown and enjoy the rest of her life. She gave the baccalaureate speech to our senior class with her daughter part of the graduating class. Tears slid down the cheeks of those that knew what was happening. On graduation night she walked out on the field with our faculty wearing a clown wig because she had no hair. She was celebrating the graduation of her daughter. A little over a month later she was taken away from us. She gave a great fight and lost.

To honor Movelle each semester I make these Peanut Butter Bars and share my story of friendship with my students. Now I am sharing it with you. Enjoy!

While hot let 6 oz. of semi sweet chocolate chips melt and spread over the bars.

Cool a couple of hours or overnight before cutting.

Cool and ready to cut.

Movelle’s Peanut Butter Bars Yield about 2 dozen bars

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup plain flour

6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream butter, peanut butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, and milk. Stir in salt, flour, and baking powder. Pour into a 13×9 in. pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Immediately put chocolate chips on top of the bars. Allow a few minutes for the chips to melt. Spread melted chocolate over the bars. Cool completely before cutting about 2 hours or overnight. You could eat them right out of the pan with a spoon, but if you want a pretty bar cookie you need to be patient and let them cool.

Happy Cooking,

The Teacher Cooks

Here are the photos from 2nd block. Sorry that 1st block did not get to make theirs. Maybe another time! Notice that the class did not have time to let the bars cool so the results were almost better eaten out of the pan instead of trying to make a clean cut. Anyway they were really good and the class enjoyed them.

53 responses to “Peanut Butter Bars”

Thanks for reminding us how special Movelle was to all of us. I intend to make these for my family and reminisce with them about this amazing woman. She truly was a role model for us all to follow. I miss her today as much as ever. Maybe one day my girls will make them for their children and tell stories of the woman who inspired us all.

Wow! I only knew Movell for four years, but what an impact she had on me. I have a very clear memory of looking out my window and seeing her walking into school after chemo. I knew she had blisters on her feet and felt awful, but I also knew that this school and these kids were so important to her. She was an awesome teacher, an example for all of us.

I first met Movelle in 1983 when we taught together at Lithia Springs High School. As I was a new teacher to the school, I could count on her support and advice. She was such a unique individual and fun to be around. She was a great teacher to all students. I am glad that I could call her my friend.

well these bars looked really good and amazing and when you blended the all of the ingredients together to keep the bowl from moving you put a damp towel under it and i thought that was a neat little trick.

This looks amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Mrs. Murdock was an absolutely fabulous teacher and the very reason why I learned to excel in math from high school and onward. She always encouraged me and believed in me even when I had zero confidence in myself and my abilities. She made me laugh and made learning enjoyable. I will always remember her words from our baccalaureate and I am incredibly honored she spoke for our class. I leaned so much inside and outside the classroom from this woman. And learned that great wisdom can come from anywhere. Even from a woman with blue and pink hair. 🙂